Load suspending vehicle body



Dec. l1, 195] J. EVANOFF ETAL LQAD SUSPENDING VEHICLEBODY Filed Nov. 25, 1946 2 SHEETS--SHEET l n'ffoRNeY Dec. l1, 1951 L EVANOFF ET AL 2,578,052

LOAD SUSPENDING VEHICLE BODY l Filed Nov. 25, 194e zsHEETs-SHEET vehicle body to whatever length,r heightpa d Patented Dec. 11, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE n2,57 8,052; LOAD SUSIENDING VEHICLE BODY John Evano and Harry L. Castino, Dshman, Wash, assignors of. one-fourth to' Abner M... .Ingebrtsoni Dishman, Was1,.1.

Application lv'ovember- 25, 19.4.6., Serial NO- 712,203

2 Claims..

l Our present invention relates to improvements in load suspending vehicle bodies and more particularly to bodies constructed from a combina-f tion of special and standard shapes oi aluminum alloy extrusions, gussets, and corrugated aluminum alloy sheet to form a vehiclebody struc?, turally strong within itself which can be used as a, truck body, a semi-.trailer either of.` frameless construction or on a semi-trailer chassis, or a full trailer either of irameless construction or on a full trailer chassis.

It is the primary object of our invention to provide a vehiclel body t0. be constructed for whatever special uses it may be built andu to obtain the maximum'amount of strength from the vehicle body with a minimum of unproduc- 'tive Weight.

Another object of our invention is toA utilize the maximum amount of strength froml the material used in theconstructionof thel vehicle body by riveting the side'and-` roof panels tom the frame forming a unitary vehicle body and to build a vehicle body and use it asY a truck; body, trailer body, or semi-trailer body and build the width required and to permit. the inside required and to be able to use the samev vehicle bOd-y construction.

rlhe vehicle body of our.- invention will withstand a maximum amount oi, impact; with: a minimum amount of damageto the vehicle body inA Vcase of av wreck and a minimum amount ci damage to the load, While using steel; formed sectionsA onlyv where the physieal',` properties Qi aluminum alloys are not highV` enough to. with., s tand the weight or impact. l

We have foundr it desirable to mairel the strength of our vehicle body iiexible. This is governed by the amount ofiioor cross members, side posts, and roof. bows used4 forming box sections of the Width necessary to1 widthstan'd. the loads carried, whether the loads carried are suspended from the roof; from loose loads carried on the floor; or heavy compact loads carried on the floor.

In the accompanying drawings we have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of our inventionaccording to the best mode we have thus far devised, but it will be understood that various changes and alterations may be made in the exemplified structure within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a View in perspective Of a truck body or trailer body.

2f Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line' 2-2 of Fig. 1 broken in sections to permit enlargement of parts for purpose of illustration.

' Fig. 3 is a sectional vieW of the roof stringeil showing an eye bolt insulated from the metal to prevent heat and cold being transferred in and out or the truck body.

Referring now to the drawings wherein wev have illustrated our present preferred form of the invention we employ floor sills 2 extending across the underside of the floor of the truck or trailer body and secured to the longitudinal side members 4 by angle plates c. Up-wardly the side members are formedI with horizontal sec tions- 8 from which are centrally arranged andvertically extended the wall-plates ill, the inner edge portion or ledge l2 of the sections 3V being a-` supportfor the floor of the body. These sidemembers 4 and horizontal sections 8V form angleplates or angular girders, one located at and extending longitudinallyV of eachv side of theI ve-V hiclebody, which, together with the longitudinal ly spaced and transversely disposed cut-awayk If-sills 2, form a floor supporting frame. The extruded upright wall-plates la of the ila-need girders form` bases for the inner body walls ot the vehicle, and the outer skin or housing of thebody. is supported. on the girders.

Thev door consists ofi the thin metal sheet or.

skin I4. secured by bolts l5. beneath the. portions.

t2.V against. iurring strips. IB which are recessed. at. 20, to. t. ther portions I2.. Above the, strips' is. a, layer of moisture-proof pap-er 22, the insula-x tionl material I9, and the wood 2li beingi laid'. thereon., and secured. by the bolts IG;

The composite licor is. thus tted. between the: laterally spaced parallel base-plates. lzof thetwo; girdersbeneath the inner Wall of thezbodyof. the vehicle, and the tie-down bolts l-passedfthroughe the floor and theupper flanges of: thetra-nsverse. sills 2. are secured. by usual clamp; nuts, to. install;

the floor as a component part of the vehicle body.

The inner walls are built up and include the surface covering 26 on furring strips Z3 which are attached to the Z-posts 3i) spaced along the body and to which is secured the exterior skin 34 by rivets 36, and the skin is corrugated at 38 to give stiffness and support thereto.

The horizontal plates and anges 8 of the girders provide a substantial base for the longitudinally spaced upright Z-posts at opposite sides of the body; the inner anges of the posts at their lower ends are fastened by Wall-bolts to the base Walls or plates I0; and similar bolts fasten the inner body-wall to the inner flanges of the posts. The outer skin or housing 34, which is riveted to the outer flanges of the posts, is thus spaced from the inner wall to receive insulation material.

The upper edges of the inner wall and the outer housing, at opposite sides of the body are united by longitudinally extending panels, and the posts 30 at their upper ends are angularly cut at 40 to support the rounded corners 42 of these panels, which panels have extruded flanges seated on the tops of the cut-away posts. These rounded corners merge with ribbed side plates 44 of the panels, and the rivets 36 fasten these plates to the outer anges of the Z-posts.

At the door level two lower exterior longitudinally extending panels 46, each having reinforcing and ornamental ribs 48, are riveted through the housing, to the outer ilanges of the Z-posts and to the girders 3, and longitudinal shoulders 50 of these panels engage the usual wooden rub-rail 52, one located at each side of the vehicle.

A roof skin or outer sheathing 54 is ribbed at 56 for stiiTness and is secured under the covers 42 by rivets 53. Vertical plates in the form of longitudinally extending stringers 60 are mounted on the Z-posts 33 by rivets 62 and to the covers 42 by rivets 58. A lateral flange shelf 64 on these plates aids in supporting the roof truss which comprises beams 66 having spaced depending legs 68 and shoulders 10. Insulation 12 is positioned in the recess or pocket between the legs 68 and timbers 14 secured by bolts '16, support bolts 18 and rings 80 from which rings, freight load may be carried in transit. Bearing plates 82 cover the under side of notches 93 of the timbers 14 and are secured by screws 34. Angle plates 86 brace and support the roof trusses against the vertical plates or stringere 60.

The longitudinally spaced and transversely arranged roof trusses forming over-head loadsupporting or load-suspending beams, which unite the two longitudinally extending stringers 50, 60, afford a stable support for the timbers 14 that are fastened by bolts 16 between the two legs or webs ofl the transverse beams.

In many forms of truck or trailer bodies it is desirable to provide a door in the side of the body and to meet that requirement we aperture the side wall by cutting the Z-posts 30 at 68 to receive the offset portion 99 of the extruded member 32 stepped to nt the rubber molding 92 against which the offset 94 of the door 96 will nt. A steel threshold 98 is offset at |00 to cover the floor structure including a ller block |02 and is secured in the wall structure between the plate 4 and rub rail 52.

From the above description it will be apparent that we have devised a novel and unique structure for truck and trailer bodies which will be relatively light in weight yet strong and durable,

and which lends itself easily to insulation for refrigeration to transport such items as fresh meats and the like.

Having thus fully described our invention what We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In load-suspending means forming part of a vehicle body-frame, the combination with a base frame, and two rows oi" longitudinally spaced Z-posts rigid therewith, of a longitudinal Stringer uniting the upper ends of each row oi' posts, a lower horizontal shelf integral with each Stringer, longitudinally spaced I-beams each having two spaced webs and mounted on the two shelves, angle plates riveted at their ends to the two stringers and to the spaced webs, a timber mounted within and bolted to the webs of the beams, and a suspending eye-bolt mounted in the timber.

2. In a vehicle body having a base frame and side walls supported on said frame, load suspending beams adapted to be mounted upon and supported by said walls, each said beam having spaced depending Webs, an inverted T-shaped timber mounted between said webs, transversely extending bolts passing through said webs and timber for securing the timber therein, support bolts extending vertically through said timbers, and eyes on the lower end of said support bolts.

JOHN EVANOFF. HARRY L. CASTING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 776,623 Smith Dec. 6, 1904 916,324 Kastendike Mar. 23, 1909 1.220,193 Christianson Mar. 27, 1917 1,293,708 Christianson Feb. 11, 1919 1,675,701 Fitch July 3, 1928 1,910,397 Lewis May 23, 1933 2,007,295 Coble July 9, 1935 2,047,503 Wilson et al. July 14, 1936 2,050,425 Dean Aug. 11, 1936 2,100,323 Fitch Nov. 30, 1937 2,172,571 Theriault Sept. 12, 1939 2,222,335 Dietrich Nov. 19, 1940 2,263,510 Lindsay Nov. 18, 1941 2,363,170 Fontaine Nov. 21, 1944 2,400,253 Ostlund May 14, 1946 2,428,144 Clough Sept. 30, 1947 2,471,917 Wilson May 31, 1949 2,504,657 Dean Apr. 18, 1950 2,504,659 Dean Apr. 18, 1950 OTHER REFERENCES Meyer Refrigerated Meat Body, page 24,

Autobody of Jan. 1929. 

